Change Coming to Danish Fisheries Management

DENMARK - A change in management of fisheries is essential, says the Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Eva Kjer Hansen

Last autumn, Denmark's Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries presented a proposal for a new fisheries policy to her European colleagues. Among other things, the proposal aims at completely stopping discards of good fish, and it ensures fewer and less-detailed rules, where the focus is on achieving the overall objective – sustainable fishing.

The European Commission included a number of the Danish ideas in its recently released green paper, including stopping discards, issuing simpler and clearer rules, and giving more responsibility to the fishermen.

“In its proposals, the Commission has listened intensely to the Danish ideas. It is necessary to change course so we get greater sustainability in fishing and stop the meaningless discards of fish,” says Eva Kjer Hansen. “However, I would liked to have seen the Commission putting greater weight on promoting the use of selective gears. This is something that I will bring on the agenda both in the reform discussions and in our work towards 2012.”

The Commission presented its green paper on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy in Council on 23 April, and the ministers will discuss the green paper in more detail at their coming meeting in May.